Video: Shaq Thompson advises Budda Baker to focus

Mondays on Montlake feels a little different because its Game Week and Washington begins the season in five days at Hawaii.

Junior linebacker Shaq Thompson said the Huskies have improved during fall camp.

“We just got better becoming a family,” he said. “We kind of lacked that the last couple of years we were just on the field playing to win – that was the only purpose. But our purpose now is to play as a family, play as a team and trust each and everybody on the field.”

Two years ago, Thompson was a ballyhooed freshman who started at nickel in the 2012 season opener against San Diego State. He had three tackles against the Aztecs. Thompson knows what Budda Baker might be feeling these days. The star-studded freshman from Bellevue High is listed as one of the two starting safeties on the depth chart.

“What I would tell him (Baker) and all the freshman, I just say just focus,” Thompson said. “Especially on the deep end. We just tell them don’t let nobody catch nothing. If they catch something, get it out. Whatever you do in practice is going to translate to the games. So we just tell them to get the ball out every time. If they catch it, break it up.”